05/09/2024
First of all, I want to thank all of you who have chosen Thrift-Town Pharmacy as your pharmacy and entrusted us with your prescription and healthcare needs. I am posting this to ask for your help and support with an important piece of legislation that is critical to our survival as an independent pharmacy. Even if you’re not a customer of ours, but use an other independent pharmacy, I ask for your help too. This legislation, which is Senate Bill 444 (SB444), is currently being discussed and voted on in our State Capitol. You may or may not have heard of a PBM (Pharmacy Benefit Manager). PBMs are the “middle man” between your insurance company and your pharmacy. They set what amount the pharmacy is paid, what your copay will be, and what they will charge your insurance company. PBMs started as claims processors but have grown into Fortune 10 companies by exploiting the healthcare system, particularly when it comes to the cost of prescriptions, by charging your insurance company many times more than what they are reimbursing the pharmacy. SB444 will require the PBM’s to pay the pharmacy their cost to acquire the medication. Hard to believe we need legislation to require us to be paid the cost of a drug, but it’s true. If you use an independent pharmacy and you haven’t been told they can’t fill your prescription because of being reimbursed less than the cost of the medication, you probably will soon. I’m asking that you take just 1 to 2 minutes of your time and call or email your State Senator. Beth Mizell is my State Senator and Robby Carter is my State Representative. I have listed their contact info below. Depending on where you live, your Senator and Representative may be someone other than Sen Mizell and Rep Carter. If so, please contact them and ask for their support of SB444. Thank you in advance for your help in letting our legislators know the importance of the passage of this bill. And if you have any questions about this bill, please contact me at the pharmacy.
Ray Glasgow, RPh
Thrift-Town HealthMart Pharmacy
985-748-8191
Senator Beth Mizell
mizellb@legis.la.gov
225-342-2040
Representative Robby Carter
carterr@legis.la.gov
225-342-6945